Moments ago I posted the first part of my exploration into some of the categories and nominees for the 87th Academy Awards which will be held on February 22nd, 2015. The first post discussed the category of Best Original Song and that naturally leads us to the other music category (and my favorite) Best Original Score. It is the one I get most interested and invested in and the one I am notoriously horrible at predicting. Over the years I have “agreed” with the Academy only a few times but, as discussed in the initial post, I’m anticipating a change in my luck with predictions as I have begun to view and understand art and culture in a new and different way. It is quite possible, however, that my record continues down it’s embarrassing track and nothing changes at all. Regardless, film scores are one of my favorite things in the entire world (as noted in a post from way back here), so I will continue listening, appreciating and pretending to be well versed in what they are and what makes them “good.”
The nominees for Best Original Score are:
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Alexandre Desplat
The Imitation Game – Alexandre Desplat
Interstellar – Hans Zimmer
Mr. Turner – Gary Yershon
The Theory of Everything – Jóhann Jóhannsson
I should preface this by admitting to the bias with which I enter this discussion: I absolutely love Alexandre Desplat. I think he is a genius. He is my favorite film composer right now and I cannot get enough of his work. With that said, I acknowledge the overwhelming brilliance in each of the nominees in the category this year and am putting my adoration aside to fairly analyze each one. It should also be noted that I am a rookie posing as someone who knows a lot more about these things than I do and that these posts are not meant to serve as reliable critical evaluation. This is all just good fun. Anyways, back on track…
This year marks the first time that I have been intimately familiar with each of the five nominated scores and have found elements in each that I think are outstanding. It is greatly influence by the presence of two different scores by Alexandre Desplat. The Grand Budapest Hotel as a film is, in my opinion, a visual masterpiece. While watching I was astounded by the direction and cinematography, the costume and set design, and the unique atmosphere created by Wes Anderson. I had never seen such application of the principles of design – the symmetry and balance of each frame, the use of color and contrast. It is gorgeous to look at and you are swept away to this interesting and unfamiliar place. All of these elements are accentuated by the spectacularly original and delightful score. It takes an incredible talent to not only match a musical soundtrack to the visuals that are being produced in this film, but to then amplify them and make them better. The score sets a mysteriously European vibe, almost Scandinavian at times. There are elements of another wonderful Desplat score felt throughout, the quirky banjo-laden, pizzicato style of Fantastic Mr. Fox, but an entirely different atmosphere is being created. This is a fun listen from top to bottom, carrying with it the simplicity, precision and humor that allow the film to be so successful in it’s outstanding vision.
I just saw The Imitation Game this past week, after having been familiar with the score for quite some time, and since viewing it I am constantly discovering new depth in the score that Desplat has composed. My first impression was that it was yet another strong score from a master of his craft, but the more I dig into the instruments used, the sounds chosen, and the mood that is created, the more I appreciate what Desplat accomplished with this composition. Take the track “U-Boats” for instance: The percussive low piano creates a driving, aggressive background, the flutes add in a weightless quality to balance it out, then the piano takes a dissonant, repetitive turn. That driving background has morphed into the musical representation of Morse Code. While watching the film it goes unnoticed but it is a brilliant choice that adds an immense amount of tension and excitement to the scene. Throughout the score Desplat uses metallic percussion sounds in constant running motifs that seem to emulate the ever churning thoughts of Alan Touring. There is a sense of forward motion, a driving force that builds energy over and over again and leads the movie along its path. This is especially evident in the track “Crosswords” where the urgency and mystery is almost overwhelming. All of the metallic sounds consistently hinting at Enigma, at the machine that is to be built to overcome it, at all of the metal parts turning and turning, searching for the right sequence to decode and save millions of lives. This score is bloody brilliant.
Interstellar is one of those scores that isn’t something you put on while hanging out at home for great background music. It isn’t spectacular study music (as is The Theory Of Everything, which I play every single day, repeatedly) nor is it something that you’ll have stuck in your head randomly because it’s so catchy and memorable. In the past I would have overlooked this score without a second glance, finding little value in its sparseness and lack of melody, but I paid attention in a way that I hadn’t previously done with a film score and I was surprised and pleased to realize that it is actually quite wonderful and an essential aspect of the film. I find the heavy use of the organ extremely interesting. I don’t generally associate an “other worldly” atmosphere with something most commonly used in classical fugues and Sunday church services, but it works. Somehow Hans Zimmer creates a new environment, a distant, intriguing place with it. The track “Stay” exemplifies the simultaneous power and simplicity of this score. There are wispy, airy outer space-like sounds over long low drones, high sweeping strings that are etherial and gorgeous, and a massive build with a driving bottom end that leads to a weightless climax. It isn’t flashy but it is perfect. The track “Mountains” is the other standout for me, adding in the extremely effective and relevant idea of time. Zimmer uses the constant clock-like ticking to accentuate the urgency in the film and to push the momentum forward. The accelerando causes a build that increases your heartbeat, growing into the huge low end slides, simulating the mountainous waves on screen. The clock picks up from a single click on the beat midway through to a double-time, echoing tick-tock after the build. The organ kicks in and voices are used to facilitate a majestic, mysterious, overpowering sense of impending doom. It is pure atmosphere and it is ridiculously well crafted.
Out of all five nominees I have to say that Mr. Turner is by far my least favorite. I spent a lot of time cringing in my first few attempts at listening through. It, even more so than Interstellar, is a score that is not meant to stand on its own and provide a great background atmosphere for regular daily life. That is also not what any of these scores were composed for, however, and this score was meant to accompany a gorgeously shot, complex film about a British painter. There is definitely a specific mood being created here. The initially cringe-inducing portions of the composition are the high pitched winds and long string lines that, in normal life, aren’t common nor are they pleasing to the ear. In this score they find a home as the eery, off putting mood enhancers they were supposed to be. The film explores a range of darker emotions and ideas and they are emphasized by the dark, complicated arrangements by Gary Yershon. Listening to the score by itself is an interesting experience, as the first twenty one tracks are the gloomy, sliding clarinet laden, long toned pieces but a drastic turn occurs after “End Credits” when a series of eight tracks with the main title “A Running Jump” begin. It is a combination of fast moving, receptive paino motif, rhythmic percussion (bongos?), and a latin trumpet melody. The opposition to everything before it is astounding. The content in these last 8 tracks is my favorite portion of the score. It completely changed my view of everything that had come before it. In the context of the film everything makes sense, but as a score on its own, I wasn’t sold until I heard the unique and original vision that Yershon possesses. What a strange, interesting score!
The Theory of Everything. I don’t even know where to begin. I wasn’t familiar with Jóhann Jóhannsson prior to seeing this film but I am going to watch what he does very closely from here on out. I cannot stop listening to this score. It happens to be perfect background music for me while I’m reading or studying for my classes, but it also is incredibly beautiful. It has a “British” element to it, a sort of indescribable European period film-ness, but in the best way possible. It also manages to compliment what is happening in the film in terms of the space exploration and creation of the universe type of thought that is occurring. The track “Collapsing Inwards” has an outer space mystery to it. High pitched tones and a long drone build into a huge crescendo that feels like a musical representation of entering a black hole. There is a suction moment at the end that perfectly portrays not only the ideas discussed in the film, but the uniquely alienating and overwhelming experience of dealing with the disease that Stephen Hawking is shown to be going through on screen. The track “Forces of Attraction” also happens to be a super gorgeous stand-alone composition. The piano undercurrent, the twinkling guitar sounds and the flowing rise and fall of the strings…it is just such a pleasure to listen to. The entire score, top to bottom, is outstanding.
Do I dare throw out a prediction on who will be declared the winner? The Theory of Everything is, as I said, my favorite to listen to and Jóhann Jóhannsson also has the edge, coming off of the win at the Golden Globe awards, so it would be a wise choice. I was about to type that I will follow my initial impression and say TTOE, but I think that I might have to go with my gut and give it to The Imitation Game. Any of these scores could rightfully take home the award, but there is so much brilliance in Desplat’s score for TIG and it adds so much to the film that I think it will sneak in and take the prize. It’ll be exciting to see what happens!
Until then, check out my playlist of all the Best Original Score and Best Original Song nominees on Spotify:
Snapshots of a Static Life 
[…] “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie; Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson “Glory” from Selma; Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me; Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond “Lost Stars” from Begin Again; Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois There have only been a few times throughout my time spent watching the Academy Awards that I have thoroughly enjoyed each nominee in this category. I have generally gravitate towards only the most mainstream nominees and turned my nose up at the idea of exploring the obscure ones that fell outside of my comfort zone. I rooted for “Jai Ho”(Slumdog Millionaire), jumped for joy over “Falling Slowly”(Once) and most definitely was alright with the victory for “Let It Go” (Frozen) but attempting to understand “Al Otro Lado Del Río”(The Motorcycle Diaries) or “The Weary Kind”(Crazy Heart) was beyond my interest or ability. Things have changed. I’ve changed. I no longer wade through life with my limited view of what makes art good or important and that’s allowed me to appreciate and understand things that I never have been able to before. It also helps that there is something in this category for everyone this year. I genuinely love each song, both as a stand alone piece of music and as a compliment to the film in which they are featured. It’s a fantastic year for music in the movies and that makes me very, very happy. Speaking of happy, it is pure joy to see “Everything Is Awesome!!!” on this list. To imagine a scene in my mind where a stereotypical Academy member (curmudgeonly older gentleman in a tuxedo with a cane, perhaps?) selects a song with three exclamation points in its title and that contains the lyrics “Dogs with fleas, allergies/A book of Greek antiquities/Brand new pants, a very old vest/Awesome items are the best” elicits an internal giggle that is priceless. The Academy has included and even honored some surprising tunes in the past (“It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp” winning at the 78th Oscars comes to mind) and as strange as this nomination feels, it is definitely warranted. The song is silly and lyrically rudimentary but it has an integral part in the film and accentuates the very qualities and ideas that make The Lego Movie such a wonderful and surprising movie. The humor, the effervescent positivity and that undeniably catchy chorus…what’s not to love? The more time I spend listening to and thinking about “Glory” the more I have a hard time imagining any other song in this category winning. It is not the song I’m replaying over and over (see: “Grateful”) but it is the song that seems too relevant and too important to be ignored. The message of hope and perseverance is a powerful continuation of the themes within the film Selma, but what lifts this piece of music to a higher level is the connection to the events that are happening around us right now. The lyrics explicitly call out the continuing struggle for equality referencing Ferguson in the lyric “That’s why Rosa sat on the bus/That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up.” It’s a song about the past and the present simultaneously. It fits within the context of the film and yet still transcends beyond the film, becoming an anthem for a new generation. It’s the obvious choice and perhaps the one most necessary and deserving. I was shocked to see “Grateful” get a nomination. I had fallen in love with the song when it was first released, not knowing anything about the film it was a part of or that it was even in the realm of Oscar contention. I’m a big fan of Rita Ora and songwriter Diane Warren has written so many songs that I’ve loved over the years so I was stoked to see both of them recognized in this way. I had posted the lyrics to this song on the blog back in the beginning of November noting how beautiful they were. They came into my life during a difficult time and the message was very much needed. This is the song, out of all the nominees, that stands alone the most successfully for me. It’s in my wheelhouse of emotional pop songs with catchy melodies and relatable lyrics, but it is inherently at a disadvantage for that very reason. The surprise nomination is going to be the high point for this tune. The Academy won’t choose a standard pop song in a field as strong and diverse as this category. It’s a great song getting some extra attention and that’s perfectly fine with me. While “Glory” is the well deserved sure-bet in the group, the other song with all the stuff to potentially take home the trophy is “I’m Not Gonna Miss You.” I haven’t yet seen the documentary about Glen Campbell that this song is featured in so I hadn’t truly appreciated the lyrics until reading a piece on Rolling Stone detailing the meaning behind it. It is a brilliantly written, heart-wrenching, honest piece of music that is, in my opinion, incredibly under appreciated. The fact that it is the final song that Mr. Campbell will record makes it even more impactful. It vividly explores what it must be like for someone dealing with what Mr. Campbell is going through and does so in a way that isn’t mopey or overwhelmingly depressing. The opening line of “I’m still here but yet I’m gone…” hits hard, but the end of the chorus brings an unexpected lightness with “…and best of all I’m not gonna miss you.” In the face of something as tragic as losing your memory, there remains a sense of hope. There’s something positive to be found in even the most difficult situations and this presents that idea in a hauntingly gorgeous way. This is a fantastic song. “Lost Stars” gets a bit lost in this field of contenders but is another solid song and rightfully belongs in the lineup. The lyrics are perfectly aligned with the film and the song itself is invaluable in the telling of the story. This is probably the most important song in terms of what it adds to the film and how it is used to further the narrative but it will most likely be overshadowed by the bigger, more emotional entries here. It’ll be exciting to tune in on February 22nd and get to hear each of these songs performed on the telecast of the 87th Academy Awards. Each artist and songwriter will be afforded a level of exposure and an opportunity that is unlike any other in the arts and each deserves every second of it. Check out the playlist below of all five Best Original Song nominees as well as the Best Original Score nominees. I discuss the latter in a post you can find here. […]